By Sarah Ewall-Wice, Senior U.S. Political Reporter
11:54 06 Apr 2024, updated 11:54 06 Apr 2024
- Trump campaign and Republicans raised $65 million in March
- Biden had a massive $155 million campaign war chest at the end of February
- Trump April 6 Palm Beach fundraiser co-chaired by multiple billionaires
- Melania Trump expected to be in attendance for mega donor event
Donald Trump is gearing for the biggest political fundraising event of the 2024 election season to date on Saturday when a group of ultra-wealthy donors will descend on Mar-a-Lago for a gathering that’s expected to rake in $43 million for the Republican presidential hopeful.
The fundraiser for the ex-president dubbed the ‘Inaugural Leadership Dinner’ is being hosted by hedge fund billionaire John Paulson and his girlfriend Alina de Almedia.
Trump will be in attendance along with former First Lady Melania Trump who has been absent from the 2024 campaign trail so far, though she’s reportedly set to host her own fundraising event later this month.
Tickets for the glitzy event Saturday go for as much as $814,600 for the chairman level which includes seating at the table with the former president, reception and a photo opportunity.
The next level is the host committee for $250,000 a ticket. It includes ‘VIP seating,’ reception and photo opportunity.
According to the invitation to the ritzy occasion, other special guests in attendance include South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum who are both in the running to be Trump’s vice presidential pick.
Another onetime GOP presidential hopeful, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will also be a special guest at the event.
Paulson is not the only billionaire to be joining the ex-president for the festivities on Saturday.
The invitation includes a series of other extremely wealthy Republican mega donors as co-chairs including billionaire hedge fund manager Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah Mercer.
Casino mogul Steve Wynn and wife Andrea are also listed on the invite as is oil tycoon Harold Hamm, Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick and grocery store chain CEO John Catsimatidis.
The co-owner of the Chicago Cubs Todd Ricketts and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, the former U.S. ambassador to the UK, are also among the co-chairs.
Several of Trump’s former administration officials are set to attend including his former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and wife Hilary as well as business executive Linda McMahon, who led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.
Former Ambassador to Spain and financier Duke Buchan III is also listed as a co-chair with his wife Hannah along with Georgia Senator and businesswoman Kelly Loeffler and her husband Jeff Sprecher, chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.
Also included as a co-chair is hotel entrepreneur Robert Bigelow, who was a major backer of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during the Republican presidential primary, giving the pro pro-DeSantis Never Back Down super PAC more than $20 million.
The glitzy shindig in southern Florida is said to be the Republican response to the Democrats’ recent ‘Evening with the Presidents’ fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall.
On March 28, Biden appeared alongside former Presidents Obama and Clinton where they were interviewed by late night host Stephen Colbert for a sold out event.
That star-studded evening brought in more than $26 million for Biden and Democrats.
While some tickets went for as much as $500,000, it generated $9.5 million from grassroots fundraising as more than 165,000 supporters contributed.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee is expected to surpass that massive fundraising haul with his event on April 6. A Republican National Committee official said it was expected to bring in $43 million.
But a source close to Bidenworld questioned the ex-president’s touted March fundraising totals asking how much from Saturday’s mega fundraiser total had already been counted toward the monthly fundraising total. They argued the lack of details about the number of donors in the monthly fundraising figure is telling.
That source also noted that the dinner does not appear to have the grassroots component, saying big fundraisers are only so sustainable.
Trump has been playing catch up to Biden when it comes to the presidential fundraising race.
Earlier this week, the RNC announced Trump and Republican aligned groups raised a massive more than $65 million in March, a substantial increase over the fundraising through February.
The campaign and Republicans finished March with $93 million cash on hand, an major uptick from the less than $42 million Republicans had at the end of February.
But despite the improvement on fundraising last month as Trump and the RNC entered a Trump 47 Committee new joint fundraising agreement with the ex-president clinching the necessary delegates to be the nominee, Biden is still way ahead when it comes to raking in cash.
At the end of February, the president had a whopping $155 million in cash on hand as he enters to tough general election season.
The record-breaking sum has allowed the president’s campaign to make early advertising reservations and invest early in its field operations and efforts to expand their political path to victory.
At the same time, Trump has been facing mounting legal fees and has spent millions from his leadership pac Save America on lawyers. The joint fundraising agreement will continue to help fund his legal costs.
Campaign federal election filings for March will shed additional light on the presidential candidates fundraising endeavors later this month.
